Red Velvet Valentine Cupcake Baskets

This is awesome for children, especially for school class parties. The licorice handle and ice cream cone basket are a great addition to the cupcake.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons sweet cream butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 small egg at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons margarine at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
• 6 flat bottomed ice cream cones
• 4 ounces milk chocolate chips, melted
• 2 cherry flavored rope shaped chewy candy twists, split down the middle
• 1/2 cup candy red hots
• 1/2 cup mixed heart shaped message candies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, salt, baking soda and cocoa then set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until mixed, about 4 minutes. Add egg and beat well. Beat in food coloring and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir vinegar into buttermilk. Alternately beat in buttermilk and flour mixture to batter. Place muffin papers in a six count muffin pan. Pour batter into papers and bake 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes then cool on rack 40 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, beat margarine until creamy. Stir in confectioners sugar, milk and butter flavoring then frost cupcakes. Cut bottom off ice cream cones and place on a sheet of waxed paper. Cut off top section of cone and place over bottom of cone on waxed paper. Drizzle chocolate around inside bottom to connect the two cone parts. Cut enough candy rope to make a basket handle. In the holes around the top of cone, drizzle a little chocolate in opposite ends and poke the rope candy down into the holes to make a basket handle. When cool, place on top of each cupcake. Fill with a mixture of valentine candy.

Number of Servings: 6